Thought for the Month - October 2013

"Who wants to live forever?" by Barry Adair
(Eternally yours)

Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever?
There's no chance for us
It's all decided for us

Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever?
Forever is our today
Who waits forever anyway?

It's hardly a huge surprise that when you Google "who wants to live forever", the first few search pages are dominated by the Queen song with the same title. That's a couple of verses from the song above, penned by Brian May for the film 'Highlander'.

Yes, I was thinking about 'immortality' this month. There were a couple of things that brought this subject to mind and I would like to tell you about them in the next few paragraphs.

As well as listening to the Queen song recently, I was also reading about Google's interest in extending the human life span. It was in the news just a week or two ago and Time magazine ran an article on it (see photo). I'm sure I don't have to mention who Google is! In fact, a friend in work was telling me recently that after directing a question to his elderly Mum, who lives in a rural village and has never operated a PC or smart phone, she promptly told him to "just Google it"! Such is the size and power of this company, whenever they look into something; you know that they are serious about the subject.

Over the years I have asked a few of my non-Christian friends on their ideas about living forever. I have also read the views from a number famous people and celebrities.

The views on immortality seem to depend very much on how easy that person's life has been. Those in a privileged position (the celebs and Google executives) really like the idea - but those whose life has been pretty tough don't seem to relish the idea at all. In essence, life's experiences, and especially the riches gained, seem to define to them what immortality would actually "feel" like.

According to the Bible we have an immortal part to all of us. This, of course, is our soul. As I have said before, I like to think that our souls capture our inner selves, our personalities, the real us… our souls are the part of us which has been moulded by our parents, teachers, friends, pastors and by all the experiences life has thrown at us, both good and bad.

The Bible also puts a very high price on all our souls…

"For what is a man profited, if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26)

Like those I had asked about immortality, the Bible acknowledges that there will be both good and bad experiences of immortality. We know these as Heaven and Hell.

But unlike those I had asked about immortality, our present standing in this world and riches gained will have absolutely no impact on which immortality we will encounter. Admittance to Heaven is solely based on the finished work of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In ourselves we can offer nothing! It is only by humbly accepting His atoning death (in payment for our sins) that we gain admittance to Heaven.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24)

So back to the Queen song "who wants to live forever"…

Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever

Let's remember that God has reached out to us in love.

We can indeed have forever.

We can indeed love forever and be loved forever!

Who wants to live forever?

I do!

Eternally yours,

Barry

(All Bible quotations are from the NASB)

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!